Vikings: Valhalla season 3 finally introduced Erik the Red (Goran Višnjić), Leif and Freydis’ father, but it didn’t have enough time to explore his story. Despite still having many more stories to tell from the final years of the Viking Age, Vikings: Valhalla has come to an end with its third season, but even though it had limited time to expand on more stories, it introduced new characters who are key in Viking history. Among them is Erik the Red, who had been mentioned a couple of times in the previous seasons due to his not-so-good reputation.

Vikings: Valhalla season 2 ended with Harald (Leo Suter) and Leif (Sam Corlett) in Constantinople, Freydis (Frida Gustavsson) taking over Jomsborg, and Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin) watching her back as Godwin (David Oakes) set his sinister plans into motion. Vikings: Valhalla season 3 catches up with all of them and other characters from the past seasons, while also introducing Erik the Red as Freydis and the surviving Jomsvikings arrive in Greenland. Unfortunately, Vikings: Valhalla left Erik’s story inconclusive, but history can fill in those gaps as he’s a key figure in Viking history.

Who Is Erik The Red?

Erik The Red Is A Legendary Viking

Just like many other characters from both Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla, Erik the Red was a real person, though the series made some changes to him for dramatic purposes. Born Erik Thorvaldsson, he was a Norse explorer, whose stories can be found in different sagas. Erik’s father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was banished from Norway (where Erik was born) and sailed to Iceland with his family. There, Erik married Þjódhild Jorundsdottir, and they had four children: Thorvald, Thorstein, Freydís, and Leif Erikson. Unlike Leif, Erik remained a pagan his whole life, and just like in Vikings: Valhalla, he was exiled from Iceland.

Why Was Erik The Red Exiled?

Erik Repeated His Father’s History

Erik’s father, Thorvald, was banished from Norway for committing acts of manslaughter, which is why his children grew up in Iceland. Erik repeated his father’s infamous legacy and was exiled from Iceland under similar circumstances. When Erik’s slaves (thralls) caused a landslide on a neighboring farm, a friend of the farm’s owner, Eyjolf the Foul, killed the slaves. Erik then killed Eyjolf and another man, and Eyjolf’s kinsmen sought legal prosecution against Erik, and so he was banished around the year 982. However, that wasn’t the end of Erik’s conflicts with other people, adding to his not-so-positive reputation.

After his banishment from Haukaladr, Erik relocated to Brokey and Öxney islands in Iceland. There, he came into conflict with a man named Thorgest, who he asked to keep some ornamented pillars he inherited and that Thorvald (his father) had brought from Norway. When Erik went to retrieve them, Thorgest refused, but Erik still got them back. Thorgest and his men chased Erik, with the latter killing the former’s sons, and though they both gathered allies, their dispute was eventually resolved – however, this resulted in Erik and his men being outlawed from Iceland for three years.

Erik The Red’s Family & History In Greenland

Erik The Red Is A Key Figure In Greenland’s History

Erik the Red is believed to have founded the first European settlement in Greenland, but he wasn’t the first European who discovered this land. Other explorers are credited with discovering Greenland, but Erik is the one credited as the first known and successful settler of this land. Erik’s arrival in Greenland happened during his exile, where he reached a part of the coast that seemed to have good conditions for growth and prosperity. Erik spent three years exploring the land, but returned to Iceland once his exile expired.

According to the Saga of Erik the Red, Erik said he named it “Greenland” to give it a more appealing name than “Iceland”, hoping it would draw people there, as he needed them for his settlement to succeed. This proved to be an excellent tactic, as Erik returned to Greenland with many colonists, though many of his ships were lost at sea.

Erik and company established two colonies on the southwest coast – the Eastern and Western settlements –, though the Greenland saga says that explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni and others settled in a place referred to as Vinland. When Erik returned to Greenland after his exile, he brought his family with him, and so Leif and his siblings grew up in Greenland. Leif went on to become the first European to set foot on continental America, while Freydis, depending on the source, either traveled to Vinland (North America) and betrayed her people there, or her expedition was attacked by the Natives, who she fought when her men panicked.

What Happened To Erik The Red?

Erik The Red’s Fate Was Different

Vikings: Valhalla didn’t cover Erik’s death, nor did it give closure to his story in the series. Erik was last seen in his settlement in Greenland, where he confronted his wife, as she had freed Freydis. Vikings: Valhalla left Erik’s fate open-ended, but history can answer the questions about his death. After Leif arrived in Vinland, he invited Erik to join him on their next voyage there, but according to the sagas, Erik fell off his horse on his way to the ship. Erik took this as a bad sign and didn’t join Leif’s travel. The following winter, Erik died in an epidemic that killed many of the colonists.